In a session and DM needs a ruling on leveling up

[King Atticus]

We have always played that you have to sleep to level up after getting the correct amount of XP, we got to looking and have not been able to find that requirement in the rules (as a group, DM included). Does anyone know if this is a rule, and if so where is it, or is it just a houserule we assumed was a rule?

Thanks for the quick responses

[VGLordR2]

Hmm, I took a look at PHB 58. Apparently, the commonly used rest rule isn't really a rule (unless it's hidden away somewhere). That's interesting.

[VGLordR2]

As it turns out, the downtime rule originates from the DMG, page 198. It's only a suggestion, though.

[KillianHawkeye]

Yeah, that is definitely not a rule. I've never even heard that before. We play that you level up at the end of a game session (since that is when experience gets awarded).

[Curmudgeon]

The DM controls when you level up by when they award you the XP. You go up a level immediately when that happens; see Player's Handbook on pages 58-59 for the exact steps of level advancement. If the DM wants you to rest first, they simply wait until you've finished resting to hand out the XP.

[Theroc]

When I read the OP, I immediately thought: "Elder Scrolls!1!1!!1!!11!!"

[lunar2]

you may level up at any point after you have gained enough EXP to do so. The DM is free to provide conditions of levelling as per rule 0, but all conditions are house rules or published variants, not the core rules.

[Curmudgeon]

you may level up at any point after you have gained enough EXP to do so.
The rules don't support that.
When your character’s XP total reaches at least the minimum XP needed for a new character level (see Table 3–2), he or she “goes up a level.” You go up a level when you gain enough XP, with no option for delay to some time after that.

[Elric VIII]

If the reason you want to delay leveling is so you can craft, you are allowed to do that.


However, upon gaining enough XP to attain a new level, he or she can immediately expend XP on creating an item rather than keeping the XP to advance a level.

[Curmudgeon]

If the reason you want to delay leveling is so you can craft, you are allowed to do that.
That's not actually delaying leveling up; it's doing something else with the XP so it's impossible to level up. You can also immediately cast a spell with XP cost then instead of leveling up. Now, if you keep gaining experience and run out of crafting and spellcasting diversions for the XP you will eventually gain a level, but it's from new XP rather than delayed use of that original XP award.

[lunar2]

i think the point is, leveling is not automatic. you have to actually choose to do something with the experience, be it casting, crafting, or leveling.

[Curmudgeon]

i think the point is, leveling is not automatic. you have to actually choose to do something with the experience, be it casting, crafting, or leveling.
Yes, that's true. There are 3 alternatives to going up a level. But the requirement in every case is that you have to do so immediately.
A character cannot spend so much XP on an item that he or she loses a level. However, upon gaining enough XP to attain a new level, he or she can immediately expend XP on creating an item rather than keeping the XP to advance a level.

You cannot spend so much XP that you lose a level, so you cannot cast the spell unless you have enough XP to spare. However, you may, on gaining enough XP to achieve a new level, immediately spend the XP on casting the spell rather than keeping it to advance a level.
Each time a character's level adjustment is eligible to be reduced, the character may pay an XP cost to take advantage of the reduction. The character must pay an amount of XP equal to (his current ECL -1) × 1,000. This amount is immediately deducted from the character's XP total. There's just no way to actually delay using that XP when you're above the minimum required to advance to the next level.

[Andezzar]

Yes, that's true. There are 3 alternatives to going up a level. But the requirement in every case is that you have to do so immediately.Is this even possible? Most crafting takes time and AFAIK there is no rule that you pay XP before the time has passed.

Additionally, what happens if the GM awards XP for the last encounter and more than one character has enough XP to level up? Can the one with the lower Initiative still craft if the one with the higher initiative already opted to level up? At least the decision to craft was not done immediately after the XP award.

[Curmudgeon]

Is this even possible? Most crafting takes time and AFAIK there is no rule that you pay XP before the time has passed.
Yes, it's not only possible but required. You pay the costs (gp and XP) up front. See the Craft skill for the steps. The check comes after the week's work, but you can't start until you have the expendables (material and experience). If you fail badly, you'll have wasted all the XP and half the materials, and obviously you can't start until you've got those things to work with.